HOME DEPARTMENT

Deportation: Offenders

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 13 October 2011, Official Report, column 502W, on deportation: offenders, what the (a) nationality and (b) offence committed is of foreign nationals subject to multi-agency public protection arrangements whose location is unknown.

Damian Green: The two foreign national prisoners subject to multi-agency public protection arrangements whom the UK Border Agency is considering for deportation where their location is unknown are a Polish national convicted of robbery and a national of Yemen convicted of false imprisonment.

Entry Clearances: Domestic Service

Jack Dromey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether domestic workers who entered the UK on visit visas are covered by UK employment legislation.

Damian Green: In general, overseas domestic workers are entitled to the same key employment rights as all other workers in the UK.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Minister for Immigration plans to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 13 September 2011 regarding Mr Lawson Odere.

Damian Green: A reply to the right hon. Member’s letter was sent on 25 October 2011.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Arms Trade: Exports

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which (a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department attended the recent Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition.

Alistair Burt: My noble Friend, Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint, attended the Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition in his capacity as Minister for Trade and Investment. No other Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Ministers attended the exhibition. A number of FCO officials whose work is relevant to the defence and security industry were also in attendance.

Burma: Deaths

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to press the Burmese authorities to provide an explanation for the deaths of Saw Kaw Lar and Saw San Pe on 21 and 22 August 2011.

Jeremy Browne: Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have consulted local contacts and media archives in Rangoon but have been unable to find any information about the death of any individuals by the name of Saw Kaw Lar or Saw San Pe on 21 and 22 August 2011. I would welcome further information to enable our embassy in Burma to follow up on these cases.

Burma: Human Rights

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will press for any UN General Assembly resolution on Burma to include a recommendation to establish a Commission of Inquiry to investigate allegations of human rights violations in that country.

Jeremy Browne: It is essential that mechanisms be found that deliver a credible response to allegations of human rights abuses in Burma, both past and present. The Government have therefore made clear its support for the UN Special Rapporteur's recommendation for the UN to consider establishing a Commission of Inquiry into human rights abuses in Burma as a means to achieving this goal.
	Over recent months there have been some indications that the regime in Burma is willing to embark upon meaningful and inclusive political reform, including through investigation of human rights abuses. With this in mind, we are working in close coordination with international partners to ensure the widest possible support in the UN General Assembly for a strong resolution on the human rights situation in Burma, which reflects our concerns and urges the Burmese authorities to address accountability for human rights abuses.

Colombia: Human Rights

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to raise human rights with the President of Colombia during his visit to the UK.

Jeremy Browne: Human rights remain an integral part of our relationship with Colombia and we regularly raise human rights with senior members of the Colombian Government.
	Our discussions with President Santos during his visit will cover a range of issues, including human rights, as well as trade, prosperity, international co-operation, climate change, science and innovation and counter-narcotics.

Colombia: Peace Negotiations

Michael Connarty: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will offer support to the Government of Colombia to help achieve a peace process in that country.

Jeremy Browne: We support all efforts to reach peace in Colombia. We already work in a number of areas to help build conditions for peace, for example by supporting the new Land and Victims Law and by helping Colombia tackle drug trafficking. Any direct support for a formal peace process would have to be initiated by a formal request from the Colombian Government.

European Union: Powers

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which powers have been repatriated from the EU since May 2010; and what powers he expects to repatriate by 2015.

David Lidington: Competence and power are transferred or repatriated through treaty change. Through the EU Act 2011 this coalition Government have ensured that neither they nor future governments can agree to a proposal for treaty change that transfers competence or power from the UK to the EU without the consent of the British people in a referendum and we have made a firm political commitment to rule out any transfers of competence or power from the UK to the EU during the life of this Parliament. We are policing the existing limits of competence and, as set out in the coalition agreement, we will examine the balance of the EU's existing competences.

Libya: Human Rights

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to support the National Transitional Council of Libya to meet its international obligations in respect of human rights; and if he will make a statement.

Alistair Burt: During his recent visit to Libya, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised concerns about human rights abuses committed by Free Libya Forces, including the recent reporting by Amnesty International on the treatment of detainees, and made clear that the UK expected the National Transitional Council (NTC) to turn its commitment to respect human rights into urgent action. He was assured by the Chairman of the NTC that they were taking action to meet Libya's international obligations in respect of human rights and had already begun investigations into these reports.
	The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs announced UK support for the NTC on policing and in support of their building of a vibrant civil society. He made it clear that the UK stood ready to respond to additional requests from the Libya authorities. The UK is funding a project to provide training for lawyers and justice officials in order to improve understanding and adherence to international human rights standards. We will continue to work closely with the NTC as well as our EU and UN counterparts to determine what further specific bilateral support the UK can provide.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Third Sector

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many letters he has received on funding for civil society organisations within his Department's area of responsibility in each month since 1 June 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Owen Paterson: I have received a total of nine letters requesting funding since 1 June 2010. One was received in January this year; one in April; five in September and two this month.

EDUCATION

Children's Centres

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much funding his Department plans to allocate to children's centres in Ashfield constituency in each of the next four years.

Sarah Teather: From April 2011, funding for Children's Centres is included within the Early Intervention Grant (EIG). Nottinghamshire's EIG allocation for 2011-12 and the indicative allocation for 2012-13 are shown in the following table. Funding beyond March 2013 is subject to future spending reviews.
	The EIG is an un-ring-fenced and un-hypothecated funding stream that gives local authorities flexibility to target resources strategically and to intervene early to improve outcomes for children, young people and families. It is up to local authorities to judge how best to use this funding in consultation with local communities, taking account of local need, their statutory duties and evidence of what is most effective.
	
		
			 Nottinghamshire county council 
			  £ 
			 2011-12 29,140,205 
			 2012-13 30,305,448 
			 Total 59,445,653

Ministerial Voluntary Work

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what volunteering (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have undertaken as part of the One Day Challenge; what the nature of the work undertaken was; on what dates it took place; and what the names were of the organisations assisted.

Sarah Teather: The Secretary of State for Education, my right hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove), and Department for Education Ministers participate in a range of volunteering activities.

Public Sector Mutuals

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to put in place a right to provide for public sector workers to take over the running of services; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah Teather: The Open Public Services White Paper, published in July 2011, states that we are giving public sector workers who want to form mutuals or co-operatives to deliver public services a right to provide. This will enable public sector workers who want to form new employee-owned mutual companies to take over the running of services. We are working closely with Cabinet Office to help facilitate this in children's services where the conditions are right, and have already made some initial good progress. As part of the Cabinet Office's mutuals pathfinder programme, a small number of local authorities are currently working with their employees in children's services to explore new models of delivery. A grant with 4Children is exploring a range of children's centre delivery models to encourage increased commissioning out of children's centres services by local authorities. This will include exploring opportunities for public sector workers to take over the running of services.
	We are also testing employee-owned delivery arrangements through our social work practices (SWPs) pilots. The SWP pilots, announced in December 2008, have seen the creation of independent, social worker-led organisations to deliver services for children and young people in care, including social workers moving out of public sector employment to form their own employee-owned social enterprise. These initiatives will help us to understand, by learning from the front line, what type of support and structures will best enable the development of employee-led mutuals on an ongoing basis.

Schools: Vocational Guidance

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what mechanism his Department uses to assess the quality of careers guidance in schools.

John Hayes: holding answer 13 October 2011
	We must retain a focus on outcomes that show the extent to which young people are achieving and progressing to higher levels of education or training, or into employment, rather than on specific inputs such as the amount or type of careers guidance. The data on progression provided by the destinations measure we plan to publish will provide clear and comparable information on the success of schools in helping their pupils to progress onto a positive post-16 destination.
	Ofsted inspections will consider the extent to which pupils have a well-informed understanding of the options and challenges facing them as they move through school and onto the next stage of their education, training or employment. The Government have also accepted the recommendation of the Careers Profession Task Force to ask Ofsted to carry out a thematic review of careers guidance as a means of identifying excellent provision and establishing a baseline for future policy development. We are considering the most appropriate timing for such a review.

Sign Language

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether the Government plans to introduce family sign language classes throughout England.

Sarah Teather: We have no current plans to introduce such classes throughout England. Support services for children with a hearing impairment, and their families, are determined by local authorities in response to local needs and in line with their statutory duties.
	The Department for Education funded a pilot of a project called I-Sign, which included the development of family sign language classes, up until March 2011.
	We have received the final evaluation of the pilot and will meet with the organisations involved in November 2011 to discuss how to use the learning from the project.

Special Educational Needs

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what plans he has to enable children with (a) autism and (b) other special educational needs to participate in both mainstream and specialist provision during their time at school;
	(2)  what plans he has to encourage mainstream and special schools to work together to facilitate dual placements for children with (a) autism and (b) other special educational needs.

Sarah Teather: Some 15,500 children with special educational needs (SEN), including children with autistic spectrum disorders, are already benefiting from both mainstream and specialist provision through being placed in mainstream schools with specially resourced provision or in specialist units attached to mainstream schools. We are giving special schools, including special schools for children with autism, the opportunity to become Academies and play a leading role in transforming the educational experiences of children with SEN by exploring innovative arrangements working with other schools, including mainstream schools. These could include giving children the opportunity to participate in learning and activities alongside their mainstream peers. We also encourage other special schools, local authority maintained and independent, to work with their mainstream colleagues, sharing their expertise and helping to give their pupils mainstream experiences.
	Through SEN statements, children can already benefit from dual placements in special and mainstream schools. Decisions in individual cases are taken by local authorities in discussion with parents and the schools concerned. The greater diversity of SEN provision the Government are encouraging will open up greater opportunities for children to benefit from dual placements.

Third Sector

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much direct funding his Department provided to each civil society organisation it funded in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; how much he expects to provide in (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15; and if he will make a statement.

Sarah Teather: Civil society organisations play, and will continue to play, a significant role in developing and delivering services for children, young people and families. The sector receives money from DfE through a number of routes, including funding through arms length bodies, through the money we give to local authorities and from services commissioned from schools.
	Information about DfE's direct spend with civil society organisations, for the financial year 2010-11 and between April 2011 and 30 September 2011 has been placed in the House Libraries.
	We do not have comprehensive information on funding to organisations in future years as in many areas decisions have yet to be taken. We have made grants through our VCS Prospectus (announced on 25 February 2011) and indicative figures for each funded organisation for 2012-13 can be found in the press notice on the DfE website:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/a0074906/voluntary-and-community-organisations-awarded-60-million-grant
	Allocations have only been made for 2011-12 and 2012-13 and there is no information about funding beyond that.

TREASURY

Air Passenger Duty

Priti Patel: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had on the reform of air passenger duty.

Chloe Smith: The Government undertook a consultation on air passenger duty from 23 March to 17 June 2011. The Government are reviewing the considerable number of responses submitted by interested parties and will publish a summary of responses later this autumn.

Asset Protection Agency: Government Procurement Card

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the (a) date of purchase, (b) amount, (c) supplier and (d) level 3 or enhanced transaction entry was of each transaction undertaken by the Asset Protection Agency using the Government Procurement Card in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09 and (iii) 2009-10.

Chloe Smith: The Asset Protection Agency (APA) was established on 7 December 2009. Total Government Procurement Card (GPC) spend from 7 December 2009 to 31 March 2010 was £2,288.21. There is one transaction of £157.26 for the agency in November 2009 before it was officially established. This is included in the overall figure. There are no other recorded costs on the APA GPC spend from 1 April 2009 to 6 December 2009.
	For the period in question, the APA Government Procurement Card was primarily used for purchasing items for the APA such as stationery, IT equipment and tea and coffee.

Business: Fuels

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will assess the effect of the price of fuel on the cost of setting up a new small or medium-sized enterprise; and if he will make a statement.

Chloe Smith: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 10 October 2011, Official Report, column 128W, to the hon. Member for Coventry South (Mr Cunningham).

Procurement

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the cost of employing civil servants to undertake procurement for his Department in (a) 2008-09, (b) 2009-10 and (c) 2010-11; and what estimate he has made of the cost of (i) employing civil servants and (ii) engaging consultants to undertake procurement for his Department in 2011-12.

Chloe Smith: The cost of employing civil servants to undertake procurement activities in the Treasury for the Treasury Group were £384,000 in 2008-09, £479,000 in 2009-10 and £611,000 in 2010-11.
	The estimated cost of employing civil servants to undertake procurement activities in the Treasury Group in 2011-12 is £389,000. The estimated costs of engaging consultants to undertake procurement activities in 2011-12 is £136,371.

E-mail

Jack Dromey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any (a) Ministers, (b) officials and (c) special advisers in his Department use private e-mail accounts for the conduct of government business.

Chloe Smith: The Ministerial Code, the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers and the Civil Service Code set out how Ministers, officials and special advisers conduct government business.

Excise Duties

Neil Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his rationale is for using the retail prices index instead of the consumer prices index to calculate increases in duty excise.

Chloe Smith: The Government committed at Budget 2011 to continue to implement the duty increases inherited from the previous Government. These are based on the retail prices index. Budget 2011 announced that the Government will review the use of the consumer prices index for indirect taxes once its fiscal consolidation plans have been implemented.

Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many representations his Department has received on beer and wine duty fraud since the 2011 Budget.

Chloe Smith: Treasury Ministers and officials meet with a wide range of organisations and individuals in the public and private sectors and discuss a broad range of issues, including beer and wine duty fraud, as part of the usual policymaking process. The Government take alcohol fraud very seriously and welcome suggestions to tackle alcohol duty fraud.

Excise Duties: Alcoholic Drinks

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will commence a formal consultation with the drinks industry on the impact of alcohol duty fraud.

Chloe Smith: The Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), announced that the Government will explore potential legislative measures to tackle existing and emerging threats to alcohol duty receipts at Budget 2011. HMRC are currently consulting with the alcohol industry informally on potential anti-fraud measures, and the impact of duty fraud on legitimate trade. A decision on whether to consult formally will be taken in due course.
	HMRC published estimates of losses from duty fraud involving spirits and beer in “Measuring Tax Gaps-2011” in September 2011.
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/measuring-tax-gaps.htm

Foreign Investment in UK: Renewable Energy

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons he has not approved the price structure proposed to ensure the UK meets its legally binding targets for renewable energy; and what estimate he has made of the level of potential investment that might be affected if the price structure is not approved shortly.

Chloe Smith: holding answer 20 October 2011
	The Renewables Obligation banding review has been published, and seeks comments on the level for support available for renewable electricity generation for the period 2013-17 under the Renewables Obligation. Details can be found on the Department of Energy and Climate Change website at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/cons_ro_review/cons_ro_review.aspx

Jobcentre Plus

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last visited a Jobcentre Plus centre in an official capacity.

Chloe Smith: holding answer 21 October 2011
	Treasury Ministers and officials visit a wide variety of organisations in the public, private and third sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such visits.

Mobile Phones

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to his Department's press notice of 3 October 2011, how the £150 million to improve mobile telephone coverage will be funded.

Danny Alexander: The £150 million for improved mobile coverage will be funded from underspends forecasted by Departments for 2011-12 that have been reallocated across future years. The package of conference announcements has no overall effect on the fiscal consolidation.

Money: Counterfeit Manufacturing

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of counterfeit (a) £1 and (b) £2 coins in circulation;
	(2)  what recent estimate he has made of the face value of counterfeit coins in circulation.

Chloe Smith: The most recent survey conducted by the Royal Mint found that its sample contained an estimated £1 coin counterfeit rate of 2.94%, or approximately 45 million £1 coins.
	The Royal Mint does not currently undertake regular surveys for other denominations. The Royal Mint, the Serious Organised Crime Agency and industry partners do not believe that there is a significant counterfeit issue with any other denominations.

National Insurance Contributions: New Businesses

Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 10 October 2011, Official Report, column 133W, on National Insurance Contributions, what data limitations prevent the national insurance contribution holiday factsheet differentiating between full-time and part-time jobs; and whether steps are being taken to improve data collection so that such a distinction could be made.

David Gauke: To minimise the burden on employers, the information requested from businesses benefiting from the NICs holiday is reduced to what is absolutely necessary. This includes details on the employer, employees benefiting and the amount saved but not additional data on hours worked or full-time/part-time status. HMRC has no plans to change the data collection for the scheme.

Revenue and Customs: Government Procurement Card

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 17 October 2011, Official Report, column 702W, on Revenue and Customs: Government Procurement Card, 
	(1)  what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 29 May 2007 and 14 June 2007;
	(2)  what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 21 June 2007 and 28 June 2007;
	(3)  what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 2 July 2007 and 24 July 2007;
	(4)  what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 6 September 2007 and 24 September 2007;
	(5)  what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 13 November 2007 and 12 December 2007;
	(6)  what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 8 April 2008 and 1 May 2008;
	(7)  what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 15 February and 26 March 2008;
	(8)  what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 22 May 2008 and 11 June 2008;
	(9)  what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 23 June 2008 and 4 July 2008;
	(10)  what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 11 July 2008 and 18 August 2008;
	(11)  what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 26 August 2008 and 1 September 2008;
	(12)  what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 8 September 2008 and 2 October 2008;
	(13)  what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 7 October 2008 and 22 October 2008;
	(14)  what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 3 November 2008 and 17 November 2008;
	(15)  what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 2 December 2008 and 22 December 2008;
	(16)  what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 19 January 2009 and 9 March 2009;
	(17)  what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 16 March 2009 and 2 April 2009;
	(18)  what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 27 April 2009 and 15 June 2009;
	(19)  what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 19 June 2009 and 25 June 2009;
	(20)  what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 21 October 2009 and 29 October 2009;
	(21)  what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 25 November 2009 and 15 January 2010;
	(22)  what the names of the suppliers were of the entries listed as hotels and accommodation between 1 March 2010 and 23 March 2010.

David Gauke: The resources needed to gather and review the volume of these transactions, which include operationally sensitive information, would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.
	The duties of HMRC staff cover a wide range of posts and some roles necessitate overseas or domestic travel that require accommodation in support of key departmental objectives—for example, fiscal crime liaison, EU policy development, enforcement of prohibition and restrictions and mutual administrative assistance.
	Information for the whole of the 2007-08, 2008-09 and part of the 2009-10 includes GPC use by-staff prior to their transfer to UKBA under the relevant machinery of government changes.
	HMRC applies tight restrictions to both provision of GPC cards and their use and spend is tightly controlled and strictly follows the rules and standards of Government Accounting.
	In support of the Government's transparency agenda all Departments will publish GPC transactional level data on their own departmental website, posting a link on:
	www.data.gov.uk

Revenue and Customs: Manpower

Mark Hendrick: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what plans he has to consult (a) staff and (b) union officials of the tax credit office in Preston prior to making any decision on staffing levels following the introduction of the universal credit;
	(2)  what recent assessment he has made of the effect on staffing levels at tax credit offices of the introduction of a universal tax credit.

David Gauke: The Welfare Reform White Paper sets out that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will be responsible for organising the delivery of universal credit.
	For the introduction of universal credit, it has been agreed to utilise existing capabilities and the best operational units within DWP and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). This will ensure people with relevant skills and experience can support claimants as they make the transition to universal credit.
	HMRC and DWP are working closely to develop transition plans but are unable to say, at this early stage, what the impact on staffing in HMRC will be. However HMRC will continue to have regular meetings with representatives of the trade unions and, as the plans become more detailed, further information will be made available.

Revenue and Customs: Manpower

Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in HM Revenue and Customs work in the affluent team; and how many staff will be recruited to that team in the next 12 months.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs will have 200 people working in the affluent teams to tackle those who pay or should pay the 50p rate of tax. One hundred of those people were recruited over the summer and the final hundred are moving in to their new posts now.

Revenue and Customs: Recruitment

Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of staff in HM Revenue and Customs' affluent team were (a) recruited externally and (b) redeployed from within HM Revenue and Customs.

David Gauke: One individual was recruited from outside HMRC, but all the other team members have been recruited or redeployed from within HMRC. These new jobs are part of the reinvestment of £917 million over four years, announced in the 2010 spending review. This will see a redeployment of 2,250 staff this year.

Revenue and Customs: Standards

Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made in reviewing HM Revenue and Customs' service standards; and what objectives were set for the review.

David Gauke: HMRC is working closely with a wide range of stakeholders within and outside Government and aims to publish agreed service standards by the end of the calendar year.

Tax Allowances

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the potential revenue yield of freezing the (a) capital gains tax allowance threshold and (b) inheritance tax allowance threshold for each year from 2012-13 to 2015-16; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: Freezing the capital gains tax annual exempt amount at its current level of £10,600 for individuals and £5,300 for most trusts is equivalent to reducing it from what it would otherwise be by an amount that depends on inflation. Based on the September 2011 annual increase in the consumer prices index and thereafter forecast inflation, the reduction amounts to £600 for individuals and £300 for most trusts in 2012-13 and no more than £600 and £300 respectively for the years 2013-14 to 2015-16.
	The information requested is not available but the estimated cost of increasing the annual exempt amount by £500 for individuals and £250 for trusts is available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/tax_expenditures/table1-6.pdf
	A freeze to the inheritance tax threshold was announced by the previous Government and was legislated in the Finance Act which received Royal Assent on 8 April 2010. The allowance is frozen at its 2010-11 level of £325,000 until 2014-15. The forecast revenue yield was published in table 2.2 of the Budget 2011 document, available on the Treasury website at:
	http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/2011budget_complete.pdf
	An estimate of the revenue yield for extending the threshold freeze for the year 2015-16 is not available.

Tax Avoidance

Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what HM Revenue and Customs' target is for the collection of revenue currently lost through tax avoidance and evasion for each year of the comprehensive spending review period; and what progress has been made towards that target in 2011 to date.

David Gauke: HMRC is transforming its compliance work and reinvesting over £900 million of its spending review savings into work against avoidance, evasion, criminal attacks and to recover more debt. Our target is to bring in an additional £7 billion a year by 2014-15 and we are on track to raise £2 billion this year.

Tax Avoidance

Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the General Anti-Avoidance Rule working group to publish its findings; and when he expects to bring forward any legislative proposals that nay be required.

David Gauke: The Government expect to receive and publish a report from the General Anti-Avoidance Rule (GAAR) Study Group in November 2011. The Government recognise that a GAAR is an important matter to both business and private individuals and that time will be needed to digest and carefully evaluate the findings of the study group. Development of a GAAR will be considered to a budget time scale and the Government have committed not to introduce a GAAR without further, formal public consultation.

Tax Avoidance

Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the monetary value of revenues lost to the Exchequer as a result of tax avoidance and evasion by (a) UK-domiciled individuals and (b) UK-based companies in the last year for which figures are available.

David Gauke: The information does not exist in the form requested.
	The latest tax gap estimates were published in September 2011 in ‘Measuring Tax Gaps 2011’ on HMRC's website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/mtg-2011.pdf
	This included the following estimates of the tax gap for 2009-10 from avoidance by individuals and companies:
	Avoidance of income tax, national insurance contributions, capital gains tax is estimated at around £1.5 billion;
	Avoidance of corporation tax by businesses managed by HMRC's Large Business Service, is estimated at around £1 billion;
	Avoidance of corporation tax by Large and Complex businesses is estimated at around £0.2 billion.
	‘Measuring Tax Gaps 2011’ also contained a broad indication of the tax gap by behaviour for 2009-10. This estimated that:
	Avoidance accounted for around 14% of the total gap for all taxes (£5 billion); and
	Evasion accounted for 12% of the total tax gap across all taxes (£4 billion).
	Neither the avoidance estimate or the evasion estimate are split between UK domiciled individuals and non-domiciled individuals.

Tax Avoidance

Owen Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what targets HM Revenue and Customs has for solving open cases; and what progress has been made towards the achievement of such targets.

David Gauke: HMRC has committed to clearing 17.9 million open cases by December 2012 and is on track to do so.
	The Open Case programme was set up in January 2011 to clear the remaining open cases through a combination of technical and clerical clearances.
	HMRC successfully introduced the technical changes in October 2011 and are testing the changes before they go live.
	HMRC currently have just under 1,000 staff working on clerical clearances.
	Cumulative figures to September show HMRC are ahead of clearance targets. So far HMRC have cleared around 3 million of the 17.9 million cases and the technical changes will enable us to clear millions more of these cases automatically.

Taxation: Environment Protection

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 17 October 2011, Official Report, column 711W, on taxation: environment protection, whether he has plans for the recycling of revenue from the carbon floor price and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme into low-carbon projects.

Chloe Smith: In the spending review, Government committed significant spending to climate change mitigation and green objectives.
	In general, the Government consider that hypothecation, or "earmarking" revenues for a particular spending purpose, is an inefficient way to manage the public finances.

Third Sector

Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what volunteering (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have undertaken as part of the One Day Challenge; what the nature of the work undertaken was; on what dates it took place; and what the names were of the organisations assisted.

Chloe Smith: Treasury Ministers carry out their ministerial duties in line with the “Ministerial Code”. Any volunteering activities undertaken by Treasury Ministers in a personal capacity are a matter for them. Relevant interests, which may include voluntary activities, are published by the Cabinet Office in the List of Ministers' Interests.

HEALTH

Cancer: Health Services

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the findings of the 2010 National Cancer Patient Experience Survey; and what assessment he has made of the evidential basis for a link between positive patient experience and access to a clinical nurse specialist.

Paul Burstow: The national report of the 2010 cancer patient experience survey was published in December 2010 and 158 bespoke trust level reports were published in January 2011. Results of the survey have been disseminated widely. The 10% worst performing trusts have been visited to explain their results and offer practical help on actions to improve the experience of their patients. Many trusts have developed local action plans to improve cancer patient experience.
	84% of cancer patients responding to the 2010 survey reported that they had been given the name of a clinical nurse specialist (CNS). Of these, over 90% reported that the CNS had listened carefully and were given understandable answers all or most of the time. In every case, cancer patients with a CNS were significantly more likely to be positive about their care and treatment than patients who did not have a CNS. In December 2010 the Department published “One to one support for cancer patients” to assist local decision making and support the continued expansion in one to one support for all cancer patients. A copy has been placed in the Library.

Data Protection

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many official ministerial papers were recorded as not returned to his Department or otherwise unaccounted for in each month since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: No ministerial papers have been recorded as not returned or unaccounted for since May 2010.

Euthanasia

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is available to healthcare professionals caring for dying patients who request medical assistance to hasten their death.

Anne Milton: Euthanasia, the intentional taking of life albeit at a patient's request or for a merciful motive, is unlawful as is encouraging or assisting the suicide of another person.
	Professional guidance to support healthcare staff who may have to deal with requests for help to hasten death has been issued by the Royal College of Nursing (“When someone asks for your assistance to die, October 2011”):
	www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/410638/004167.pdf
	and by the British Medical Association (“Responding to patient requests relating to assisted suicide: guidance for doctors in England/Wales and Northern Ireland, July 2010”):
	www.bma.org.uk/images/assistedsuicideguidancejuly2010_tcm41-198675.pdf

Haemophilia

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Health Service Guidance HSG 93(30) on Provision of Haemophilia Treatment and Care was last revised.

Anne Milton: Health Service Guidance 93(30) on “Provision of haemophilia treatment and care” has not been revised. However, newer documents on treatment and care are available:
	The Haemophilia Alliance—“A National Service Specification for Haemophilia and other inherited bleeding disorders” (2006)
	www.ukhcdo.org/docs/HaemAlliance-NatSvsSpec2006.pdf
	NHS London Specialised Commissioning Group—“Designation of Haemophilia Services. Model documentation for Specialised Commissioning Groups” (2010)
	www.specialisedservices.nhs.uk/document/designation-haemophilia-services

JUSTICE

Members: Correspondence

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Harwich and North Essex of 26 January 2011 regarding parliamentary sovereignty and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Kenneth Clarke: I have sent a response today, and sincerely apologise for the delay, which was caused by an administrative oversight.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice when he plans to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton of 7 September 2011 regarding Mr R Whalley.

Kenneth Clarke: A reply has now been sent.

Prisoners

Jenny Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people from (a) Vietnam, (b) South Africa, (c) Nigeria and (d) China were held in prison in England and Wales in (i) May 2010 and (ii) October 2011.

Crispin Blunt: Information on the prison population in England and Wales for the requested nationalities as on 30 June 2010 and 30 June 2011 is shown in the table.
	Information on the foreign national prison population in England and Wales as at 30 September 2011 will be published in 'Offender Management Statistics Quarterly Bulletin' available on the Ministry of Justice website on 27 October 2011.
	
		
			 Population in prison for selected nationalities, 30 June 2010 and 30 June 2011, England and Wales 
			 Nationality 30 June 2010 30 June 2011 
			 Vietnam 596 472 
			 South Africa 137 114 
			 Nigeria 727 614 
			 China 364 197 
		
	
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prisoners’ Release: Employment

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) men and (b) women have been released from prison since May 2010 and what proportion entered into work within (i) one, (ii) three, (iii) six and (iv) 12 months of leaving prison.

Crispin Blunt: Between May 2010 and March 2011 (latest available), 80,513 prisoners were released from prison of which 73,616 were male and 6,897 female.
	Information on the employment status of offenders who have been released from prison since May 2010 is not collected centrally on Ministry of Justice administrative data systems. The Ministry of Justice do hold some employment information on offenders, through a one-off data sharing project between MOJ, DWP and HMRC, where initial findings will be published for the first time later in the year.
	Resettlement information on offenders, which shows the percentage of prisoners entering employment on release, is held and published by the National Offender Management Service. In 2010/11, 37.6% of offenders were in employment at the end of their sentence.

Prisoners: Employment

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) men and (b) women prisoners were in paid work in each month of 2011.

Crispin Blunt: The latest figures available are up until March 2011. Figures in the following table show the average number of prisoners employed in production workshops by month, broken down by female and male in both the public and private prison estates.
	
		
			  Private  p risons Public  p risons Total  prison system 
			  Female Male Female Male Female Male 
			 January 2011 — 976 160 8,963 160 9,939 
			 February 2011 — 1,295 167 8,488 167 9,783 
			 March 2011 — 951 161 8,882 161 9,834 
		
	
	The figures do not include those prisoners working on licence in the community. At the time of the prisoner earnings data collection in summer 2010 there were 459 such prisoners in Category D prisons. Prisoners engaged in other paid activity inside prisons are also not included. The figures used in the answer have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large-scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Sentencing: Children

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how many and what proportion of children given indeterminate sentences were subsequently released in each year since 2000;
	(2)  what the average time served in custody was of children given indeterminate sentences in each year since 2000.

Crispin Blunt: Table 1 as follows shows that the total number of young people aged 10 to 17 years, serving indeterminate sentences which started between 2005-06 (when the indeterminate sentence came into effect) and 2009-10 is 178, and the proportion who were discharged over this time period is 6%. Table 2 shows data on the average time served in custody (in days) for 10 to 17-year-olds with indeterminate sentences in each year from 2005-06 to 2009-10.
	This information set out in Tables 1 and 2 was supplied by the Youth Justice Board (YJB). The YJB does not have information on young people once they have turned 18 years old (and may transfer to the adult secure estate). Table 1 therefore does not include data on those who had been released after they had turned 18; and Table 2 refers to the average time in custody where the young person was released before their 18th birthday. In order to gather this information including those aged 18 or more would involve manually extracting and matching YJB and MOJ data and as such would incur a disproportionate cost.
	
		
			 Table 1 :  Number of 10 to 17-year-olds with indeterminate sentences 2005-06 to 2009-10 
			  10 to 17-year-olds starting indeterminate sentences 10 to 17-year-olds discharged from indeterminate sentence s 
			 2005-06 17 * 
			 2006-07 54 2 
			 2007-08 41 6 
			 2008-09 38 2 
			 2009-10 28 1 
			 Total 178 11 
			 Notes: 1. YJB data. 2. The indeterminate sentence first came into effect in 2005-06. 3. ‘*’ signifies that there were no releases in this year. 4. The total proportion of indeterminate sentences that ended of those that started in this period is 6%. It should be noted that the sentences that ended within each year will not necessarily relate to the sentences that started within each year. 5.The YJB does not have data on young people once they turn 18 years old (and may transfer to the adult estate). The table therefore does not include data on those who had been released after they had turned 18 years of age. 6. These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2 :  Average time served in custody (in days) for 10 to 17-year-olds with indeterminate sentences, 2005-06 to 2009-10 
			  Average time 
			 2005-06 * 
			 2006-07 248 
			 2007-08 302 
			 2008-09 127 
			 2009-10 307 
			 Notes: 1. YJB data. 2. The indeterminate sentence first came into effect in 2005-06. 3.'*' signifies that there were no releases in this year. 4. The YJB does not have data on young people once they turn 18-years-old (and may transfer to the adult estate). The table therefore refers to the average time in custody where the young person was released before their 18th birthday. 5. These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent progress she has made on the new licensing regime for wild animals in circuses.

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 October 2011, Official Report, column 1405W, on wildlife: circuses, what steps she has taken to overcome the legal difficulties in relation to a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses.

James Paice: I refer my hon. Friend and the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Cambridge (Dr Huppert), during the oral answers to questions on 13 October 2011, Official Report, columns 467-68.

Animal Welfare: Wildlife

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to assist ground-based wildlife with migratory paths that cross motorways and other busy roads.

Richard Benyon: There are very few ground-based species whose migratory paths cross motorways and other busy roads. Natural England has long recognised that common toads are among the most vulnerable species in this respect. It has a memorandum of agreement worth £60,000 a year with the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust (which oversees the common toad Species Action Plan) and has contributed to recent guidance for planners and highways engineers about common toads and roads.

Bovine Tuberculosis

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions her Department has had with the National Farmers Union on the vaccination of badgers against bacteria causing bovine tuberculosis.

James Paice: Representatives from the National Farmers Union have met officials and Ministers on several occasions during 2011 to discuss bovine TB, including our work on badger vaccines and their deployment.

Carbon Emissions

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to introduce mandatory carbon reporting for companies; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food, my right hon. Friend the Member for South East Cambridgeshire (Mr Paice), gave to the hon. Member for Dundee West (Jim McGovern), on 6 September 2011, Official Report, column 374W.

Coastal Areas

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what support her Department makes available for seaside communities to establish whether land reclamation is a viable option.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA funds the Environment Agency to carry out flood and coastal erosion risk management activity in England. This includes work to develop long-term plans such as shoreline management plans. These plans may include consideration of the viability land reclamation where appropriate.

Cormorants

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many applications there have been to kill cormorants in each of the last five years; and how many were granted in each such year.

Richard Benyon: Wildlife licensing is a devolved matter and applications for licences in England are made to Natural England. The following table shows the number of applications to kill cormorants received by Natural England in the last five years and how many licences to kill cormorants were granted in each year.
	
		
			  Number of applications received Number of licences issued 
			 2006 401 322 
			 2007 336 307 
			 2008 386 357 
			 2009 438 416 
			 2010 471 421

Crops: Biodiversity

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the contribution of orchards to (a) the environment and (b) biodiversity.

Richard Benyon: Orchards are important for a wide range of biodiversity including nationally rare and scarce species. There are 16,990 hectares of traditional orchards across 35,378 sites in England. The People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), working with Natural England, has carried out an aerial photo inventory and is verifying this on the ground, with volunteer surveyors visiting the orchards to record the species, age and condition of the fruit trees.
	DEFRA provides financial support for approximately 2,500 hectares of orchards through agri-environment schemes. Apple and pear growers are also able to join Producer Organisations where they can apply for matching funding via the Single Common Market Organisation.

Floods: Insurance

Harriett Baldwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with interested parties on the availability of flood insurance for homeowners after the expiry of the Statement of Principles.

Richard Benyon: We are working closely with the insurance industry to ensure that insurance remains widely available in England after the expiry of the Statement of Principles in July 2013. Following the Flood Summit I hosted in September 2010, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the right hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman), spoke at a follow-up meeting with insurance providers, community groups and other partners for further discussions on flood risk management and the challenges involved in flood insurance. We will provide an update on options shortly, with the aim of reaching a final decision by the spring.

Metals

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is (a) considering taking and (b) taking in relation to scrap metal as part of her Department's review of waste policies.

Richard Benyon: The Review of Waste Policy in England, published in June 2011, set out the Government's principal commitment to prioritise efforts to manage waste in line with the waste hierarchy and reduce the carbon impact of waste.
	The Government are working with industry to explore a responsibility deal to raise recycling levels for metal packaging. We have supported the development of European end-of-waste criteria for the recovery of iron, steel and aluminium scrap metal, which took effect from 9 October 2011. Meeting end-of-waste criteria will allow those metals to be traded as non-waste materials.
	Additionally, measures are being considered to help deliver a more strategic intelligence-led approach to tackling metal theft (which may include scrap metal). The Home Office is examining the case for streamlining the overlapping controls on scrap metal businesses.

Pesticides

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has taken any enforcement action in respect of the incorrect use of a pesticide product containing aminopyralid in each of the last five years.

Richard Benyon: The Health and Safety Executive's Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD), as the pesticides regulator, has considered a number of incidents where the herbicide aminopyralid has been reported as causing a problem in manure. CRD has not been able to determine any breach of pesticides legislation in any of the cases investigated, so no enforcement action has been taken.

Pesticides

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the Health and Safety Executive's Chemicals Regulation Directorate enforcement of restrictions on the use of pesticide products containing aminopyralid.

Richard Benyon: More stringent restrictions for the use of aminopyralid products were set in 2009 following earlier reports of crop damage caused by the use of manure from animals grazed on land treated with aminopyralid. These restrictions are designed to minimise the risk of contaminated manure being used.
	The Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD) continues to monitor the situation closely and reports to DEFRA Ministers on a regular basis. Reported incidents have declined since the restrictions were tightened and there appears to be a reducing problem. CRD follow-up reported incidents and, to date, have not uncovered evidence of breaches of pesticides law that would lead to enforcement action.

Rivers

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many English rivers do not meet the standard of the Water Framework Directive.

Richard Benyon: There are 4,837 individual river water bodies in England. 3,135 of these rivers are 'natural' rivers and 1,702 are modified rivers. The default objective of the Water Framework Directive (subject to certain exemptions) is to aim to achieve good ecological and chemical status for natural rivers and good chemical status and ecological potential for heavily modified rivers by 2015. Where these water bodies are already at “good” or better, the requirement is to ensure there is no deterioration in status.
	In 2010 the Environment Agency assessed 4,771 of these river water bodies in England. 1,028 (22%) of these were at either good status/potential or better. 3,743 (78%) of English river water bodies were failing to meet good ecological status.
	Actions agreed in River Basin Management Plans will reduce the number of failing rivers by 5% by 2015. The additional £92 million funding provided by DEFRA from 2011-15 to tackle failing rivers will further stretch this ambition.

Rivers

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the effects of abstraction and pollution on English rivers; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: In 2010, 22% of English river water bodies were assessed to be at good ecological status or good ecological potential. Ecological quality may be impacted by multiple environmental pressures, including changes to land use, river channel modifications, chemical quality, and alterations to flow. Obstructions can impact on the connectivity of rivers, which can affect the suitability of river habitats for different species, or may present a barrier to fish migration. Natural or man-made barriers impacting on fish migration are a contributing pressure in about 6% of English river water bodies failing good ecological status. Other factors affecting the connectivity, form and function of rivers are a contributing pressure in about 21% of rivers failing good ecological status. The main polluting pressures include nutrients, in about 46%, and organic (sanitary) pollutants in about 21%.

Squirrels: Pest Control

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the annual cost to the public purse of grey squirrel control.

Richard Benyon: The Forestry Commission in England spent approximately £102,000 during 2008-09, £127,000 during 2009-10 and £121,000 during 2010-11 on activities associated with the control of grey squirrel populations on the public forest estate.
	Also, a proportion of funding from the England Woodland Grant Scheme is spent on grey squirrel control, but this is not recorded separately from other grant aided woodland management activities under the scheme.
	There is no central record of costs incurred by other public bodies such as local authorities or individual landowners which may include domestic and urban park squirrel control activity.

Squirrels: Pest Control

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate her Department has made of the cost of damage caused by grey squirrels nationwide.

Richard Benyon: The report “The Economic Cost of Invasive Non-native Species on Great Britain”, produced by the Centre for Agricultural Bioscience International in 2010, was jointly commissioned by DEFRA, the Scottish Executive and the Welsh Assembly Government. It provides a comprehensive estimate of the costs of invasive non-native species to the economy of Great Britain and includes several species-specific case studies. The report estimated that the cost to the British economy of the grey squirrel was at least £14 million per annum.

TRANSPORT

Aviation: Security

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the annual cost of the security regulatory system to the aviation industry; and what estimate she has made of the potential cost-savings to the industry arising from implementation of the proposals in her Department's Better Regulation for Aviation Security consultation document.

Theresa Villiers: A draft impact assessment accompanied the consultation, launched on 14 July, which estimated that the current cost of the security regulatory system to airports and airlines is £770 million per year. The consultation seeks industry views on where potential costs and benefits may be accrued through the implementation of an outcome-focused, risk-based model of regulation.

Aviation: Security

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport with reference to her Department's consultation document, Better Regulation for Aviation Security, what estimate she has made of the projected time savings for airline passengers being processed by a security management system as opposed to existing systems.

Theresa Villiers: The Government propose to move away from a 'one size fits all' model of prescriptive regulation to one focused on outcomes and based on risk, using security management systems as the means of delivering, measuring and improving security outcomes. Under this model it will be for airport and airline operators to determine how those outcomes can be achieved in ways that maintain or enhance security, while also improving the experience for air transport users.

Bus Services: Concessions

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much subsidy was given to coach operators to offer concessionary coach travel to pensioners and disabled people in each of the last five years; and what savings she estimates will be made from ending concessionary coach travel in each year of the current spending review period.

Norman Baker: holding answer 24 October 2011
	The following table shows the amount paid by the Department for Transport to coach operators offering half price concessions to older people aged 60 and over and eligible disabled people in England in each of the last five years.
	
		
			 Grant paid to coach operators in England offering half price concessions to older people aged 60 and over and eligible disabled people 
			  £ 
			 2010-11 17,042,776 
			 2009-10 17,850,348 
			 2008-09 15,424,141 
			 2007-08 14,312,570 
			 2006-07 12,916,564 
		
	
	The Department estimates around £6 million will be saved in 2011-12 and £17 million in the remaining years of the spending review period.

Crossrail Line: Rolling Stock

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether she plans to make changes to the Crossrail procurement process in light of experience from the Thameslink rolling stock procurement process.

Theresa Villiers: I refer the right hon. Member to my answer of 21 October 2011, Official Report, column 1198W.

Legal Opinion

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average hourly rate paid was to external (a) solicitors and (b) barristers engaged by her Department in 2010-11; what guidance her Department uses in commissioning external legal advice; and if she will publish (i) the names of each external (A) solicitor and (B) barrister engaged by his Department in 2010-11 and (ii) the sums paid in each case.

Norman Baker: Before the Department commissions external legal support, it takes advice from its own procurement and legal staff. It follows relevant guidance issued by OGC available at:
	http://www.buyingsolutions.gov.uk/services/Legal/
	by the Treasury Solicitors' Department; and the Attorney-General's Department.
	The Department for Transport and its seven executive agencies instructed several external solicitors and barristers in 2010-11. To confirm all the names, average hourly rates paid, and actual sums paid to individual external solicitors and barristers engaged in that period would, I regret, incur a disproportionate cost. However, the following information is readily available.
	In 2010-11 the following payments were made to external solicitors by DFT(c) and the Highways Agency:
	1. DFT(c) (i.e. the central department)—£5,544,147
	2. The Highways Agency—£5,568,757
	The external solicitors' firms whose fees were paid by DFT(c) or the Highways Agency were:
	Beachcroft LLP
	Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP
	Burges Salmon
	CMS Cameron McKenna LLP
	Christian Khan
	SNR Denton
	Eversheds LLP
	Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP
	Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP
	Linklaters
	Pannone LLP
	Shoosmiths
	Thomas Eggar
	Veale Wasbrough Vizards
	Winckworth Sherwood
	Wragge and Co LLP
	In 2010-11 the following external barristers were instructed by DFT(c), and payments made to them:
	Claire Darwin—£101
	David Barr*—£11,331
	James Dingemans QC—£188,515
	Jessica Simor*—£13,501
	Jonathan Crow QC—£3,378
	Jonathan Hough—£117,946
	Karen Steyn*—£789
	Kieron Beal*—£2,467
	Maria Gallagher*—£1,616
	Nigel Cooper QC—£1,375
	Peter Mantle*—£2,402
	Samuel Wordsworth*—£950
	Timothy Mould QC—£2,805
	Vikram Sachdeva*—£1,575
	Jonathan Swift QC (First Treasury Counsel)
	Those barristers marked with an asterisk are on the Attorney-General's (London) panel of approved counsel. They are paid according to Government agreed rates which are as follows:
	A Panel—£120 per hour
	B Panel—£100 per hour
	C Panel—£80 per hour if over five years call. £60 per hour is under five years call
	First Treasury Counsel's hourly rate is £220
	Further details on the panel can be found at the following website:
	http://www.tsol.gov.uk/attorney_generals_panel_of_counsel.htm

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress her Department has made in analysing responses to the High Speed 2 rail consultation.

Justine Greening: The analysis of responses for the high speed rail consultation which is being produced independently of the Department, is almost complete and the final report will be presented to me shortly. I will carefully consider the report and advice from officials, before taking decisions on high speed rail.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason her Department has not published (a) the analysis of responses to the High Speed 2 rail consultation and (b) the proposed route and strategy.

Justine Greening: The Government have made clear their intention to announce their decisions on high speed rail in light of the results of the consultation by the end of 2011. The analysis of responses for the high speed rail consultation will be published along with the announcement.
	The proposed route for consultation was published in December 2010 and the Government strategy for consultation was set out in the consultation document, published in February 2011.

High Speed 2 Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made towards publishing the route and strategy for the High Speed 2 line.

Justine Greening: The Department for Transport's business plan sets a public target of announcing decisions on the HS2 strategy and route from London to the West Midlands, by the end of 2011.

Invalid Vehicles: Regulation

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  pursuant to the answer of 20 June 2011, Official Report, column 19W, on invalid vehicles: regulation, when she plans to announce the results of her Department's consultation on proposed changes to legislation governing powered mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs;
	(2)  pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2011, Official Report, column 200W, on invalid vehicles: regulation, what the reasons are for the time taken to publish the results of her Department's consultation on proposed changes to legislation governing powered mobility scooters and powered wheelchairs.

Norman Baker: holding answer 18 October 2011
	The Department's full response to the consultation will be published as soon as possible. Following careful consideration and analysis of all the responses received, I have asked my officials to undertake further work with transport operators, the industry and user group representatives on the following issues:
	options for training and incentives for vehicle users to take up training;
	a possible minimum eyesight requirement and incentives for users to meet these requirements;
	the case for increasing the unladen weight limit for powered wheelchairs only;
	the carriage of mobility scooters on public transport;
	improved guidance and information for mobility vehicle users; and
	replacing the legal term “invalid carriage” with a more suitable and contemporary term, and a review of how current legislation could be better enforced.
	These issues will be considered in relation to the aims of the Red Tape Challenge.

Railways

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what her policy is on a high-speed rail link between Gatwick and Heathrow airports.

Theresa Villiers: The Government are committed to developing a new policy framework for aviation which supports economic growth while addressing the environmental impacts of flying. We plan to publish a draft aviation policy for consultation in the spring.
	As part of our work on this we are seeking views on the key issues which need to be addressed, including the importance of a UK hub airport and whether it might be possible to create a ‘virtual hub’ by improving connectivity between existing airports. The proposal on a high-speed rail link between Gatwick and Heathrow will form a useful contribution to the debate and will be considered alongside all other responses.

Railways: Snow and Ice

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what commitments she has had from (a) train operating companies and (b) Network Rail on provision of passenger information in the event of winter weather-related disruption.

Norman Baker: Train operating companies and Network Rail are implementing a wide range of measures to improve progressively the provision of passenger information in the event of winter weather-related and other disruptions.
	Measures they have taken include improvements to contingency timetables provision and communication methods; alternative contingency timetables for short-notice upload to websites and information displays when disruptions affect normal services; long-line PA systems are being introduced at some stations and some TOCs are now using social media to disseminate information to passengers in real time.
	I regularly meet train operating companies and Network Rail, and preparations for winter, and indeed, autumn-related weather disruption is high on the agenda.

Railways: Weather

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment her Department has made of train operating companies' preparedness for extreme winter weather conditions.

Norman Baker: The Department is liaising with train operating companies to monitor their winter preparations. Our aim is to ensure that their proposed plans take account of the lessons learnt from the last two winter experiences.
	We understand that their contingency and resilience plans include provisions to overcome such problems. These include improved passenger communication strategies and development of additional contingency timetables for service operations under different weather scenarios. They also include a range of modifications to train fleets to improve resilience and address problems encountered in previous winters.

Roadworks

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps her Department is taking to ensure that local authorities' roadworks are subject to the same rules as roadworks conducted by utility companies; and if she will make a statement.

Norman Baker: holding answer 24 October 2011
	Street works provisions in the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 apply to works carried out by utility companies and others with apparatus in the highway, but not to local authority works. However, the Government are encouraging local authorities to develop proposals for permit schemes under the Traffic Management Act 2004, which requires authorities to treat their own works in the same way as those carried out by utility companies and other statutory undertakers. The Government's draft guidance on lane rental schemes, currently out to consultation, also encourages local authorities to apply the same financial incentives to their own works contractors as they propose to require of utility companies.

Thames Estuary Airport

Rehman Chishti: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent assessment she has made of the feasibility of establishing an airport in the Thames Estuary.

Theresa Villiers: The Department for Transport has not made any recent assessment of the merits of a new airport in the Thames estuary.
	The Government are developing a new policy framework for aviation which supports economic growth while addressing the environmental impacts of flying. We will consider all responses to the scoping exercise which has recently closed on this issue.

West Coast Railway Line

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost has been of (a) full-time equivalent staff in her Department, (b) consultants and (c) solicitors involved in the negotiations with Virgin Rail Group on extending the Intercity West Coast rail franchise.

Theresa Villiers: The cost of full-time equivalent staff in the Department for Transport involved in the negotiations with Virgin Rail Group on extending the Intercity West Coast rail franchise is £80,000. For consultants the cost is £121,000 and for solicitors £62,000.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Carbon Emissions

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he made an estimate of the carbon footprint which would arise from requiring energy companies to write to their customers to inform them how they may be able to achieve a cheaper tariff prior to the energy summit of 17 October 2011.

Gregory Barker: We have not made a specific assessment of the carbon footprint of the communication energy suppliers voluntarily agreed to send to their customers who pay by cash or cheque to let them know how much they could save by moving to the cheapest direct debit tariff. Energy suppliers will send this communication by e-mail or text where possible, minimising any environmental impact.

Carbon Emissions: Natural Gas

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what consideration his Department has given to the potential contribution of off-mains gas households to meeting carbon emission targets.

Charles Hendry: The contribution of off-mains gas households is a consideration in developing all our household carbon cutting policies, including the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and the Green Deal.
	The Green Deal framework has been designed to enable all 4.3 million households off the mains gas network to potentially benefit, as the Green Deal “charge” will be attached to the electricity meter.

Advertising

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has spent on advertising job vacancies since May 2010.

Gregory Barker: Our financial records show that since May 2010, £128,000 has been spent on external advertising of job vacancies.

Foresee

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the (a) date, (b) time, (c) attendees and (d) topics of discussion were of each meeting with Ministers in his Department attended by Miriam Maes in her role as Chief Executive of Foresee Ltd since May 2010.

Gregory Barker: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave her on 25 October 2011, Official Report, column 188W.

Satellite Communications

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the contribution of earth observation satellite technology in monitoring (a) climate change and (b) the effects of climate change.

Gregory Barker: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 13 July 2011, Official Report, column 378W.

Sellafield

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the cost was of decommissioning the nuclear site at Sellafield in each of the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the cost in each year to 2016.

Charles Hendry: holding answer 24 October 2011
	Decommissioning at Sellafield includes all activities from post-operational clean-out, waste treatment, maintenance of facilities and interim storage before final disposal. The following table sets out what the cost of decommissioning the nuclear site at Sellafield was in each of the last five years, alongside the projected costs in the 2010 spending review period.
	
		
			 Sellafield decommissioning cost 
			  £ million 
			 2006-07 447 
			 2007-08 584 
			 2008-09 662 
			 2009-10 660 
			 2010-11 662 
			 2011-12 762 
			 2012-13 837 
			 2013-14 813 
			 2014-15 741

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Arts

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what steps he plans to take to maintain the global position of the UK in respect of the creative industries; and what account he will take of the (a) digital and (b) global nature of such markets in such plans.

Mark Prisk: I have been asked to reply.
	Building on the ambitions described in The Plan For Growth, UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) has developed a new strategy “Britain Open For Business” which shows how the government will continue to support SMEs and high growth companies, and in particular those in the digital field that remain at the forefront of many global creative developments, in key markets around the world and to encourage inward investment from the sector.
	UKTI works in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and with Industry through the Creative Industries Council and through the Creative Industries International Marketing Strategy Board to develop and deliver strategies to promote the sector internationally. Working with its global network, UKTI continues to engage with key investors in the digital and creative space who have been identified as having the greatest potential for (further) investment in the UK. UKTI also delivers a tailored programme including missions and showcasing activities to promote the UK's creative industries internationally, many of which specifically focus on digital.

Ministerial Voluntary Work

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what volunteering (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have undertaken as part of the One Day Challenge; what the nature of the work undertaken was; on what dates it took place; and what the names were of the organisations assisted.

John Penrose: No Ministers within the Department have yet undertaken a One Day Challenge. Each Minister is committed to their pledge, and is looking forward to undertaking the challenge in the near future.

Libraries

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much he expects to save through the abolition of the Advisory Council on Libraries.

Edward Vaizey: Apart from staff time and expenses, there are no expected costs or savings associated with the proposed abolition of the Advisory Council on Libraries (ACL). ACL has no budget, premises, assets, liabilities, contracts or employees. Costs associated with ACL activity, such as members' expenses and hospitality charges for meetings, are charged to the Department for approximately £2,500 per annum.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Enterprise Zones: West Midlands

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of highly-skilled jobs that will be created as a result of the operation of the Birmingham and Solihull Enterprise Zone;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the effects of the creation of the enterprise zone in Birmingham on jobs in Birmingham Ladywood constituency.

Greg Clark: The Government approved the Birmingham City Centre Enterprise Zone bid in August. In their accompanying press release, the Greater Birmingham and Solihull local enterprise partnership announced that the Zone could generate up to 40,000 new jobs over its lifetime.
	Enterprise Zones are about allowing areas with real potential to create the new business and jobs that they need, with positive benefits across the wider economic area. This means that areas like Ladywood are able to benefit from the jobs and economic opportunities created.

Government Procurement Card

Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what transactions have been made on his Department's Government Procurement Card by each card-holding director and board member of the Audit Commission since 2006-07; and what the (a) supplier, (b) date, (c) amount and (d) name of the card holder was for each transaction.

Bob Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.
	Letter from Andy McKeon, dated 26 October 2011
	Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply as the Chief Executive is on leave.
	The Audit Commission does not have access to GPC cards provided by the Department. Only the Chief Executive and Chairman held GPC cards. They no longer hold them.
	The Audit Commission does not hold electronic records on individual card holder transactions from 2006/07 and 2007/08. This information is archived in hard copy, and could only be retrieved at disproportionate cost.
	We have, however, provided information for 2008/09 and 2009/10 on 10 May 2011 official report column 1175-1177w. The only other transaction since 31 March 2010 was on 28 June 2010 by the Chief Executive Eugene Sullivan for £415.15 at the City Inn Westminster.

Local Government: Public Consultation

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will bring forward proposals to make it mandatory for local authorities to provide residents with the opportunity to raise issues of concern with councillors at full council and cabinet meetings through public question and answer sessions for the purposes of improving local democratic accountability; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Neill: Although this matter is governed by councils' Standing Orders, Ministers believe all councils should ensure there is opportunity for some form of public speaking at such council meetings.

Public Sector: Pensions

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to his answer of 5 July 2011, Official Report, column 1158W, on public sector: pension, when the Government plans to respond to the Independent Public Service Pensions Commission's recommendations.

Bob Neill: The Government have accepted Lord Hutton's recommendations as a basis for consultation with public sector workers, trade unions and other interested parties about the need for long term reform of public service pension schemes.
	The Government and the TUC meet on a regular basis to discuss public service pension reform. These discussions cover Lord Hutton's key recommendations and the Government's proposed increase in members' contributions. Discussions have also opened at a scheme by scheme level to ensure a fuller understanding of the implications of reform before final conclusions can be reached. The Government intend to introduce changes from 2015 and have confirmed that all pension benefits earned up to that point will be protected.
	The reforms will ensure that all public service pensions will continue to be among the best pensions available.

Regional Development Agencies: Property Transfer

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he is taking to ensure that the assets of regional development agencies are disposed of in an open and transparent manner.

Greg Clark: The approach to disposing of agencies' assets will follow the principles set out in the Local Growth White Paper and the statement on the agencies assets and liabilities made on 10 February 2011. A copy of this is in the Library of the House.
	The majority of the agencies' land and property portfolio transferred to the Homes and Communities Agency on 19 September 2011 under a stewardship arrangement. As set out in the Business, Innovation and Skills written ministerial statement of 6 July 2011, Official  Report, columns 95-96WS, the Homes and Communities Agency will establish local committees to allow local bodies such as local authorities, businesses, local enterprise partnerships and others to influence development of the portfolio, and maximise economic outcomes and benefits for local communities and the taxpayer.

Social Rented Housing

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to his written ministerial statement of 10 October 2011, Official Report, columns 1-5WS, on the work of the Department (Conference Recess), what estimate he has made of the number of households with an income of over £100,000 living in social housing in each local authority area.

Grant Shapps: holding answer 24 October 2011
	It is estimated that in social rented housing in England there are between 1,000 and 6,000 households where the household reference person and partner have a combined income over £100,000 per annum. There will be other cases where households in the social rented sector have total incomes exceeding £100,000—for example because of the earnings of flat sharers, lodgers, or grown-up children—but such cases are not counted here. It is not possible to provide a breakdown of this estimate by local authority because of the sample sizes of the sources, the English Housing survey and the Family Resources survey.
	I am minded to introduce a “pay to stay” scheme for social tenants on incomes greater than £100,000 who want to stay in their properties. We will be publishing a consultation on this in due course, which will consider how best to configure the scheme and ensure it is appropriately targeted at genuine high earners.

Travellers: Caravan Sites

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to publish his proposed new Planning Policy Statement for Traveller sites.

Bob Neill: The Government intend to publish their final policy as soon as possible following due consideration of the consultation responses.

Waste Disposal: Domestic Waste

Linda Riordan: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the cost of implementing weekly refuse collections for household waste in the Calderdale council area.

Bob Neill: As outlined in the written statement of 10 October 2011, Official Report, column 1WS, the new Weekly Collections Support Scheme will support councils which switch from fortnightly to better weekly collections, and will support weekly collection councils which wish to keep and improve the weekly service they offer.
	This initiative will help councils deliver better weekly collections, and in the process make it easier for families to go green and improve local amenity and local environment.
	The cuts to frontline rubbish services encouraged by the last Administration were a lazy option. We believe that more joint working, better procurement, positive incentives and new technology are better ways of improving value for money, while maintaining regular and comprehensive services for local residents.

DEFENCE

Armed Forces: Advisory Services

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether armed services personnel receive advice on (a) budgetary and life skills, (b) debt management, (c) physical health, (d) mental health and (e) substance misuse before leaving the armed services.

Andrew Robathan: All service leavers are entitled to some form of resettlement advice, regardless of rank and length of service, which includes financial-related briefings, to which spouses/partners are also invited, covering budget and debt management. If individuals wish further advice in-depth one-to-one meetings are also offered and organisations that can provide advice on debt management are signposted by resettlement staff.
	Advice on maintaining good physical and mental health is provided throughout individuals' service careers, which provides them with an excellent foundation for their future civilian life. All personnel receive a discharge medical assessment prior to discharge, at which any specific concerns can be raised. Personnel are given advice on the importance of seeking medical help, including the ability to access the Military Departments of Community Mental Health and are also given advice on other organisations that can provide help, for example from service charities such as Combat Stress. In addition, a counselling service exists for service personnel who, upon leaving the armed forces, are considered by their unit interviewing officer as vulnerable to social exclusion.

Armed Forces: Compensation

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the inquest of Sergeant Major Adamson held in June 2011, if he will review the decision regarding a compensation claim to establish if it can be paid in such circumstances regardless of whether a formal legal obligation exists.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 24 October 2011
	Prior to May 1987, service personnel (or their dependants in the case of a fatality) were prevented from pursuing claims for compensation from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) by Section 10 of The Crown Proceedings Act 1947. Section 10 was repealed by The Crown Proceedings (Armed Forces) Act 1987.
	When the House debated the repeal of Section 10, the question of retrospection was considered and motions to allow all past and present members of HM Forces or their dependants to pursue compensation claims for injury or death were moved: they were defeated or withdrawn. The view then, as it is now, was that there was no logical point at which to draw a line, short of trying to cover all types of injury, and this would create more examples of unfairness and injustice.
	This position was challenged in the other place on the basis that Section 10 of The Crown Proceedings Act 1947 is incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. The noble Lords, Lord Bingham, Lord Hoffman, Lord Millett, Lord Hope and Lord Walker heard the matter on 13 and 14 January 2003 and a unanimous judgment was handed down on 13 February 2003 in favour of the MOD. The MOD's position concerning the payment of claims predating the repeal of Section 10 of The Crown Proceedings Act remains unchanged.
	When compensation claims are submitted, they are considered on the basis of whether or not the MOD has a legal liability to pay compensation. Where there is a legal liability to pay compensation we do so. As the incident leading to Sergeant Major Adamson's tragic death was before the repeal of Section 10 in 1987, any claim in respect of this tragic death is prevented by law.

Arms Trade: Exports

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which (a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department attended the recent Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition.

Peter Luff: The exhibition was attended by the previous Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox), the Minister for International Security Strategy, my hon. Friend the Member for Aldershot (Mr Howarth), the Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans, my right hon. Friend the Member for South Leicestershire (Mr Robathan), the Under Secretary of State for Defence, my noble Friend Lord Astor of Hever and myself.
	A wide range of officials at various grades attended from the Ministry of Defence including: the Permanent Secretary, the Chief of Defence Material, the Chief of the Naval Staff, the Chief of the General Staff, and the Chief of the Air Staff.

BAE Systems

Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what effect the recent redundancies announced by BAE Systems have had on his industrial strategy for defence.

Peter Luff: UK industry plays a vital role in equipping and supporting our armed forces. A White Paper setting out the Government's approach to equipment, support and technology issues in the defence and security areas will be published later in the year.

Defence Equipment: Gibraltar

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the book value is of the surplus vessels and equipment for sale by tender in Gibraltar.

Peter Luff: The surplus vessels and equipment for sale by tender in Gibraltar are advertised on the website:
	www.edisposals.com
	Net Book Values (the cost of the asset minus depreciation) is an accounting device and bears no relation to the reserve price set by the Disposal Services Authority for the sale of the items, which are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Disposal Services Authority Reference Description Net Book Value (NBV) 
			 DSA (G) 567 Cyclone Harbour Launch 120.23 
			    
			 DSA (G) 620 Typhoon Speedboat(1) (2)— 
			    
			 DSA (G) 665 (grouped into 35 Lots) Dumb Sullage Lighter 27.91 
			  Twin Unit Tractor Tug 446.42 
			  Range Safety Craft 78.06 
			  Brow (2)— 
			  20 Ton Mobile Crane (2)— 
			  30 Ton Mobile Crane (2)— 
			  2 Milling Machines 12,448.09 
			  Pillar Drill (2)— 
			  3 Mobile Steam Boilers 2,610.44 
			  Dumper (2)— 
			  Grinder Planer Blade (2)— 
			  Mechanical Brow 78,638.83 
			  Pedestal Buffer (2)— 
			  2 Cherry Pickers 17.91 
			  2 Compressors (2)— 
			  2 Load Test Units 15,253.19 
			  4 Centre Lathes (2)— 
			  Horizontal Borer (2)— 
			  Blade Sharpener Bandsaw (2)— 
			  60 Ton Hydraulic Press (2)— 
			  Sonic Tank (2)— 
			  Rinse Tank (2)— 
			  Condenser Dryer Unit (2)— 
			  Engraving Machine (2)— 
			  Grinder (2)— 
			  HP Air Compressor (2)— 
			  Grinder Circular Saw Blade (2)— 
			 (1) Vessel recovered at sea by Royal Fleet Auxiliary. Ministry of Defence property by default as vessel not claimed. (2) NBV not held.

Cultural Heritage

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to his Department's 2009-11 Heritage Report, which heritage risks have been identified for active management during the transition period following the Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Andrew Robathan: Two heritage risks have been identified for active management by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in the heritage report during the transition period following the strategic defence and security review:
	To ensure that the policy and management processes for managing MOD's heritage portfolio are considered and embedded within the transformation of MOD's estate management to the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.
	To ensure that the sustainable future of MOD's heritage assets within the scope of the basing review is safeguarded within any future disposal or redevelopment initiatives.

Departmental Manpower

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills on promoting British jobs and contracts within the defence industry.

Peter Luff: Ministers and officials hold regular discussions with colleagues in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on a range of issues, including the development of the forthcoming White Paper on technology, equipment and support for UK defence and security, encouraging exports and greater support to small and medium sized businesses. The long-term prosperity of UK industry depends on being competitive and market sensitive, in order to offer value for money to the British taxpayer and compete successfully in foreign markets.

European Fighter Aircraft

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the potential effects on levels of employment of a slow-down in orders for tranche 3A of the Eurofighter.

Peter Luff: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 17 October 2011, Official Report, column 600W.

Members: Correspondence

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Richmond Park of 28 March 2011, regarding service family accommodation and the Green Deal.

Andrew Robathan: I apologise that my hon. Friend has not yet received a response to his letter. This was due to an administrative oversight which I have asked my officials to investigate. I now have a copy of the letter and will respond as soon as possible.

Dalgety Bay

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason the clean-up of radioactive contamination arising from radioactive luminous dials from redundant military aircraft dismantled at Donibristle military airfield at Dalgety Bay in Fife was not included in the programme of work described in his Department's Nuclear Liabilities Management Strategy published in September 2011.

Andrew Robathan: The Nuclear Liabilities Management Strategy deals with the liabilities which have arisen from the Defence Nuclear programme, which covers the building and operating of nuclear submarines and the manufacture and management of nuclear weapons.
	The former Royal Naval Air Station Donibristle did not form any part of either the current or historic Defence Nuclear programme. Consequently, the aircraft dismantling activities in question and the potential for radioactive land contamination associated with luminous dials fall outside of the scope of the strategy and have therefore not been included.

Dalgety Bay

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish any advice obtained by his Department in relation to the risk to health from radioactive pollution found at Dalgety Bay in Fife.

Andrew Robathan: We are currently discussing the situation with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as inquiries are complete.

Radioactive Waste

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at which locations his Department has records of the burial of radium fragments.

Andrew Robathan: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) takes a proactive approach to the assessment of land quality across the estate and to the management of the risks to human health and the environment. This includes radium 226 associated predominantly with the historical maintenance and disposal of luminised instruments especially during and after the second world war and which are present to some degree at many current and former MOD sites.
	Where radium-226 contamination has been identified the potential risks are managed at site level. Such contamination on MOD sites is present in a relatively non-mobile form, with there being little to no leaching to soils and limited solubility in groundwater. As such, it is believed that radium and for that matter radiological contamination on MOD sites poses a relatively low risk to human health and the wider environment.
	While the MOD has information on those sites which have been subject to land quality assessment, the information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Arms Trade: Exports

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which (a) Ministers and (b) officials from his Department attended the recent Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition.

Mark Prisk: The Minister of State for Trade and Investment, my noble Friend, Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint, attended the recent Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition.
	Though not a BIS Minister, the Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change and Government Spokesperson, my noble Friend, Lord Marland, also attended in his capacity as Chairman of UKTI Business Ambassadors' Group.
	We estimate around 220 UKTI and BIS officials attended. The majority of officials were from UKTI Defence and Security Organisation.

Business: Marketing

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on measures to protect (a) consumers and (b) businesses from unsolicited, unwanted marketing approaches.

Edward Davey: Government recognises that some people find unsolicited mail and phone calls a real nuisance. That is why we have made sure that there are preference services in place to stop them. More information about postal preference services can be found on the Mailing Preference Service website:
	www.mpsonline.org.uk
	We strongly advise people to be very wary of unsolicited offers which sound too good to be true, as they often are. Where people receive material through the postal system which they believe is either misleading or may promote a scam or fraud, they should inform the appropriate authorities (Advertising Standards Authority, Trading Standards or Action Fraud). Consumers and businesses are protected from unsolicited marketing telephone calls through the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR). This prohibits calls to a consumer who has either previously notified the caller that they do not wish to receive such calls or has been registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS), or for business through the Corporate Telephone Preference Service (CTPS) scheme, for at least 28 days. Companies are legally required not to call a number that has registered on the TPS or CTPS list. Redress is available if registration is ignored. The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is responsible for enforcing the TPS and CTPS and is able to issue a fine of up to £500,000 for the most serious breaches of the regulations.
	Consumers are also protected from unsolicited automated recorded calls through the same PECR regulations. Companies that make recorded calls to sell or promote their product or business have to comply with Regulation 19 (1) and (2) of the Privacy Regulations, which require that prior consent of the recipient has to be obtained before such calls can be made. Regulation 24 (1) (a) states that all messages must include the identity of the caller and an address or freephone number at which the caller can be contacted.
	In addition, most telecom service providers offer a range of services that can reduce the need to answer an unsolicited marketing call.

Departmental Billing

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average cost to his Department was of processing the payment of an invoice in the latest period for which figures are available; and what proportion of invoices settled in that period his Department paid (a) electronically and (b) by cheque.

Edward Davey: The Department has recently collected information to benchmark its back office functions as part of a wider shared services programme and the cost of processing the payment of an invoice in 2010/11 was calculated as £3.24.
	In the same period, 99.4% of all invoices were settled electronically and 0.6% were settled by payable order (cheque).

Exports: Libya

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what assistance he plans to provide to small and medium-sized enterprises owed money for goods supplied to Libyan customers shortly before the recent conflict in that country;
	(2)  if he will provide Sellers International Ltd of Huddersfield with assistance whilst it awaits payment by customers in Libya for engineering products supplied before the recent conflict in that country.

Mark Prisk: The British Government are engaging at the highest level with the National Transitional Council (NTC) in Libya on a wide range of issues including the recovery of assets and to secure debt and compensation payments on behalf of British companies. The NTC have already said that any future administration in Libya will honour existing legal and contractual obligations, including to foreign companies. Although HMG is unable to intervene directly in individual cases, we will continue to remind the Libyan authorities of their commitment and urge them to honour it. It is essential that companies, like Sellers International Ltd of Huddersfield, return to Libya once the situation on the ground allows, not only to pursue new business but to recover their assets and to pursue debts.

Exports: Licensing

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of applications for standard individual export licences were processed in (a) 20 working days or fewer, (b) between 21 and 30 working days, (c) between 31 and 45 working days, (d) between 46 and 60 working days and (e) over 61 working days in each year between 2005 and 2010.

Mark Prisk: Information on standard individual export licences processed is published in the Annual Reports on Strategic Export Controls.
	In Section 3 of each annual report—Table 3.8 gives you "SIELs Processing Performance" within 20 working days and within 60 working days.
	Table 3.9 gives a breakdown in working days as follows: 0-5; 6-10; 11-15; 16-20; 21-25; 26-30 and 31+.
	They are available to view at:
	http://www.exportcontroldb.bis.gov.uk
	Click on “Published Reports” and then click on “Strategic export control: Annual Report Policy Text” for the year you require.

Higher Education: Charities

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  whether his Department has conducted an impact assessment on the likely effect of an expansion of for-profit higher education providers on the financial viability of existing higher education institutions;
	(2)  with reference to his Department's Higher Education White Paper, what assessment his Department has made of the likely cost to existing higher education providers of an expansion of alternative providers in the higher education sector.

David Willetts: The Department's Higher Education White Paper "Higher Education: Students at the Heart of the System" was accompanied by an impact assessment. This provides analysis of some of the benefits and costs of an expansion of alternative and for-profit providers, including upon the financial viability of existing providers. This impact assessment is available at:
	http://discuss.bis.gov.uk/hereform/all-documents/

Higher Education: Fraud

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the potential for creation of bogus universities as a result of changes to the rules governing the awarding of university title; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on this issue.

David Willetts: Offering a degree qualification that could be taken to be that of a UK institution without having been recognised by the UK authorities—a so-called “bogus” degree—is an offence. A recognised body is one which has been granted degree awarding powers.
	The proposals we are making around university title as part of our reforms to higher education relate specifically to reducing the student numbers criterion in order to enable smaller institutions with degree awarding powers to access university title. There is no connection between these proposals and the phenomenon of bogus degrees or universities.
	The proposals for reform of higher education we have set out and on which we are currently consulting have been agreed across Government.

Legal Opinion

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many times his Department's legal section provided legal advice to Ministers in (a) 2007, (b) 2009, (c) 2010 and (d) the first six months of 2011.

Edward Davey: holding answer 24 October 2011
	When the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), and Ministers are provided with advice which raises legal issues, that advice will include legal advice provided by lawyers employed by the Department (and where appropriate in turn informed by advice from counsel or external lawyers). It is not within the cost limit to give a figure for the number of times such legal advice has been given within the periods specified as no specific records are kept.

Legal Opinion

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many times his Department has sought legal advice from external counsel in (a) 2007, (b) 2009, (c) 2010 and (d) the first six months of 2011.

Edward Davey: holding answer 24 October 2011
	The Department does not keep a central record of the number of times external counsel is consulted. When seeking legal advice from external counsel the Department uses the following guidance:
	The Attorney-General's guidelines on the use of the private sector for Government legal work.
	Treasury Solicitor's Department's guidance on the use of counsel.
	Government Legal Service guidance on the best practice for Government, lawyers managing private sector provision of legal services.
	Government Legal Services procurement protocol.
	Department for Business, Innovation and Skills procurement code and procurement guidance.

Local Enterprise Partnerships: Foreign Investment in the UK

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress has been made by UK Trade and Investment on ensuring that local enterprise partnerships are vehicles for inward investment from foreign countries.

Mark Prisk: UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) is having detailed discussions with local enterprise partnerships about how they can best support the attraction, landing and retention of foreign direct investment to the UK. They play a critical role, particularly in providing information on the local offer (why it carries national or international comparative advantage), and in resolving local issues for potential and existing investors. UKTI is currently developing memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with local enterprise partnerships, or their local partner organisations, to cement the working relationship. A number of MoUs have already been signed and discussions on others, including with the Birmingham and Solihull local enterprise partnership, are well underway.

Postage Stamps: Prices

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what representations he has received on the process for setting the price of a first class stamp; and from whom.

Edward Davey: I have not received any specific representations about the process for setting the price of first class stamps, but am of course aware of the consultation issued by the postal services regulator, Ofcom, on 20 October—“Securing the Universal Postal Service”.
	The regulator's proposals—which were developed independently of Government—include giving Royal Mail freedom to set its own prices for first class deliveries, while maintaining a price cap for second class mail.
	The Government encourages anyone with an interest in the future of the universal postal service to take the opportunity to participate in Ofcom's consultation, which runs until 5 January 2012. More information about the consultation can be found on Ofcom's website:
	www.ofcom.org.uk

Science: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills with reference to the letter of 11 June 2010 from the Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor John Beddington, on public science spending, what his Department's response was to that letter; and when it was issued.

David Willetts: Professor John Beddington's letter of 11 June 2010 was one of many helpful pieces of high-level advice solicited as part of a consultation in the run up to the spending review of 2010.
	Professor John Beddington's advice helped to shape the allocations of science and research funding for 2011/12 to 2014/15 (“Investing in World-Class Science and Research”), which were announced in December 2010.

WALES

Ministerial Voluntary Work

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what volunteering (a) she and (b) other Ministers in her Department have undertaken as part of the One Day Challenge; what the nature of the work undertaken was; on what dates it took place; and what the names were of the organisations assisted.

David Jones: My right hon. Friend and I are scheduled to undertake a day's volunteering with organisations based in Wales in the coming months, including the Prince's Trust. We would be happy to provide further details on the organisations assisted and the nature of the work undertaken once it has been completed.

CABINET OFFICE

Data Protection

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many official Ministerial papers were recorded as not returned to his Department or otherwise unaccounted for in each month since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Francis Maude: No Cabinet Committee papers have been recorded as not returned or otherwise unaccounted for since May 2010.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Departmental Correspondence

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received on (a) the big society bank, (b) the Work programme and (c) volunteering in each month since June 2011; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) receives many representations on these subjects and is keen to engage with delivery partners wherever this can support benefit claimants into work.
	Departmental Ministers and officials are in discussion with their counterparts in the Cabinet Office on how big society capital (formerly referred to as the 'big society bank') can contribute to the delivery of welfare-to-work reform. Big society capital will not be a grant-making organisation. It is expected, however, that it will often partner with grant-making institutions such as the Big Lottery Fund, National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) and foundations that share big society capital's objectives.
	DWP has held an open and continuing dialogue about the Work programme and Work Together with a wide range of stakeholders. There has been significant interest from MPs, other Government Departments, local authorities, the devolved Administrations, the welfare to work industry, and customer representative groups.

Press: Subscriptions

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on newspapers, periodicals and trade profession magazines in 2010-11.

Chris Grayling: Information on the amount spent in financial year 2010-11 and, for reasons of comparison, financial year 2009-10 is set out in the following table.
	
		
			 £ 
			 Financial year Newspaper/magazine spend Periodical spend 
			 2009-10 26,928.58 96,011.27 
			 2010-11 27,905.75 80,071.96 
		
	
	This is a 16.6% decrease on periodical spend between 2009-10 and 2010-11.
	There are two reasons for the increase in costs for newspapers and magazines:
	(a) Inflation for publications is running at approximately 10% per annum.
	(b) We have been converting subscriptions for materials to news items where possible. This means that we do not pay for a full year up front but, instead, pay for the material as delivered. This gives much greater flexibility in cancelling materials part way though the year.

Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many contracts his Department has awarded directly to (a) small, (b) medium-sized and (c)large businesses in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The numbers and values awarded to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are detailed in the following table.
	
		
			  Contracts awarded to SME’ s Total value (£) 
			 May 2010 0 0 
			 June 2010 3 117,400 
			 July 2010 1 207,507 
			 August 2010 3 373,497 
			 September 2010 2 12,250,000 
			 October 2010 5 43,755,183 
			 November 2010 0 0 
			 December 2010 0 0 
			 January 2011 5 283,490 
			 February 2011 3 60,479 
			 March 2011 1 8,000 
			 April 2011 1 10,260 
			 May 2011 2 3,764,000 
			 June 2011 8 (1)499,624,060 
			 July 2011 0 0 
			 August 2011 0 0 
			 September 2011 0 0 
			 Total 34 560,453,876 
			 (1) Including six Work programme contracts. Notes: 1. DWP cannot break its supplier base into the distinct small, medium and large classifications required for this PQ. 2. We do have a limited classification of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME's). This SME classification is used in the response above. 3. DWP awarded 1,129 contracts in total in this period (of which, CIT low level contracts total 598). SME suppliers represent 3.01% of the overall total. 4. Of the 1,129 contracts, we have 356 contracts where the supplier's SME status is unknown. 5. The DWP also contracts with a number of prime suppliers who are supported by a high number of SMEs. The Department is currently working with these suppliers on how best to track the volume of business that flows through prime suppliers to SMEs. 6. The data includes DWP and its NDPB's. 7.The data is extracted from the BMO Contracts database using the contract start date as the filter. 8. Some contracts have a nil value because there is no firm contractual commitment to spend. 9. The period covered by this response is 1 May 2010 to 30 September 2011.

Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many contracts his Department has advertised on the Contracts Finder website in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; what proportion were awarded to (a) third sector organisations and (b) small businesses; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The table provides a month by month breakdown of the contract opportunities and values published by DWP on Contracts Finder from May 2010 to September 2011. DWP began to publish data to Contracts Finder from October 2010 onwards, as required by the Government’s transparency policy.
	There is no present capability to highlight contract awards to Third Sector Organisations (TSO's) on Contracts Finder. While we have visibility on a high number of TSO's in our wider supplier base, we have not yet completed work to link the Contracts Finder data to our internal supplier records. For that reason, we are presently unable to say how many opportunities in the period have been awarded to Third Sector Organisations.
	Of the 170 published opportunities, 23 (13.5%) were considered suitable for an SME business response. Of the 23 SME suitable opportunities, 13 (56.5%) were awarded to SME businesses.
	
		
			  Month Opportunities Value (£) 
			 2010 May 0 0 
			  June 0 0 
			  July 0 0 
			  August 0 0 
			  September 0 0 
			  October 4 0 
			  November 1 0 
			  December 4 230,000 
			     
			 2011 January 0 0 
			  February 12 47,417,701 
			  March 13 52,035,200 
			  April 8 22,938,950 
			  May 15 4,637,940 
			  June 12 68,194,773 
			  July 71 3,480,325,630 
			  August 13 95,776,903 
			  September 17 235,061,614 
			  Total 170 4,006,618,711

Employment: Vacancies

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information his Department holds on the number of job vacancies in each local authority area.

Chris Grayling: Jobcentre Plus vacancies will represent only a proportion of the total vacancies available in each area, as further vacancies will arise through other recruitment channels. Moreover, this proportion will vary between local authority areas as Jobcentre Plus's market share is not geographically uniform.
	A table which sets out for each local authority area (i) the number of vacancies notified to Jobcentre Plus and (ii) the number of live unfilled job vacancies in September 2011(1) has been placed in the Library.
	(1) The Office for National Statistics' measure of total vacancies in the economy is not available at local authority level, and Jobcentre Plus vacancy figures are not available for Northern Ireland.

Housing Benefit

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households have received annual housing benefit payments in excess of £50,000 (a) in and (b) outside London in the latest period for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: Information on the total annual amount received by individual households is not available. In July 2011, around 150 households were receiving a weekly housing benefit award equivalent to an annualised value of over £50,000. All of these households were in London.
	Notes:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	Single Housing Benefit Extract, July 2011

Local Government Finance

Nick Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid to each local authority to meet the cost of council tax benefit in each of the last five years; and what the percentage change was in such payments (a) year on year and (b) over the five year period.

Steve Webb: The available information on payments in respect of council tax benefit paid to claimants has been placed in the Library. Information on payments in respect of local authority costs of administration is not separately available for council tax benefit.

Public Service Mutuals

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what steps his Department has taken to encourage the development of public service mutuals in its area of responsibility; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to put in place a right to provide for public sector workers to take over the running of services; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: Given the scale of welfare reform in my Department, with the planned introduction of universal credit and personal independence payments in 2013, I believe the delivery and financial risks mean that this is not the appropriate time to consider mutualisation as a service delivery option. However, my Department continues to engage with Cabinet Office which has overall responsibility for developing the provision of public service mutuals/right to provide across the public sector.

Social Fund

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he plans to take to ensure that his proposals to decentralise the Social Fund do not reduce the availability of the Social Fund to vulnerable clients.

Steve Webb: We are not decentralising the Social Fund; we are abolishing the discretionary elements of the Social Fund. New support to replace Community Care Grants and general living expenses Crisis Loans will be administered by local authorities in England and devolved to Scotland and Wales.
	The design of the new local provision will be for individual local authorities and the Administrations in Scotland and Wales. It is expected that the new assistance will be aligned with existing services. My officials are working closely with local authorities and the devolved Administrations to support them in developing their services.

Social Fund

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he plans to take to ensure that his proposals to decentralise the Social Fund do not result in (a) ineffective targeting of support and (b) geographical inequalities in accessing assistance.

Steve Webb: We are not decentralising the Social Fund; we are abolishing the discretionary elements of the Social Fund. New support to replace Community Care Grants and general living expenses Crisis Loans will be administered by local authorities in England and devolved to Scotland and Wales.
	Local authorities' local knowledge, broad responsibilities and experience of benefits administration put them in an ideal position to refine and deliver the successor schemes to Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans.
	Local design and delivery means that the new providers will have the flexibility to design and deliver the new support in a way that best fits local circumstances and needs and aligns with existing welfare services and can be targeted at those groups and individuals who need it the most.

Social Fund

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent assessment he has made of the capacity of local authorities to administer the Social Fund.

Steve Webb: Local authorities will not be administering the Social Fund. The discretionary elements of the Fund are being abolished and new support to replace Community Care Grants and general living expenses Crisis Loans will be administered by local authorities in England and by the devolved Administrations in Scotland and Wales.
	Over the summer my officials have spoken to over 50 English local authorities to discuss their early planning for the new local Welfare Assistance, including local authority capacity. The emerging evidence suggests that most local authorities are looking to align this function with existing services.

Social Fund

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many appeals against decisions made on Social Fund applications there were in (a) Coventry and (b) England in each of the last five years.

Steve Webb: No information is available for Coventry.
	Discretionary Social Fund payments (Community Care Grants; Budgeting Loans and Crisis Loans) do not carry a right of appeal. Applicants may request a review. Second tier reviews are carried out by the Independent Review Service. Decisions on applications to the Regulated Social Fund (Cold Weather Payments; Funeral Payments and Sure Start Maternity Grants) do carry a right of appeal.
	Information for Great Britain for appeals and for reviews by the Independent Review Service are in the following table:
	
		
			 Financial year Number of appeals Number of reviews 
			 2006-07 3,730 23,060 
			 2007-08 3,920 18,740 
		
	
	
		
			 2008-09 5,020 28,610 
			 2009-10 4,670 49,090 
			 2010-11 4,850 52,030 
			 Notes: 1. The number of appeals is the number received by the Social Security and Child Support Appeals Tribunal. 2. Figures for the number of appeals are based on the appeals for Funeral Payments and Sure Start Maternity Grants. 3. Figures for the number of reviews are based on the number of applications for Social Fund Inspector (SFI) review. 4. The number of reviews are based on the total number of reviews for Community Care Grants, Budgeting Loans and Crisis Loans. 5. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Source: The Secretary of State for Work and Pension's Annual Report on the Social Funds.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Social Mobility

Eric Ollerenshaw: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps his Department is taking to improve social mobility; and if he will make a statement.

Nicholas Clegg: Improving social mobility is the principal goal of the Government's social policy. It is central to my vision of a fair, open society where no-one is prevented from fulfilling their potential by the circumstances of their birth and where skills, talent and hard work are what counts in determining success.
	Published in April 2011, the Government's Social Mobility Strategy—“Opening Doors, Breaking Barriers: A Strategy for Social Mobility”—aims to tackle unfairness at every stage of life with specific measures to improve social mobility. I chair a group of key Ministers to supervise delivery of this strategy.
	The strategy also sets out robust mechanisms to underpin our commitments on social mobility. This includes a set of key indicators to help us track progress, and the creation of a new Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission to hold the Government to account.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Mopani Copper Mines, Zambia

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with the European Commission on the Mopani copper mines in Mufulira, Zambia.

Stephen O'Brien: The European Investment Bank has raised this matter with officials from my Department and from the Treasury. The EIB informed us and other EU member states of allegations of tax evasion shortly after they became public in February this year. The EIB's independent inspector general is investigating the allegations and a final report is expected before the end of the year.

Female Genital Mutilation

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's policy is on steps to eradicate female genital mutilation in developing countries.

Stephen O'Brien: The Government condemns female genital mutilation as an extreme violation of human rights. DFID supports measures to reduce female genital mutilation through our funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) and through our support to non-governmental organisations such as the Population Council.

Cameroon

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of levels of education in Cameroon.

Stephen O'Brien: The most recent data on education in Cameroon is set out in the 2011 Education for All Global Monitoring Report. This shows that net enrolment in primary education in 2008 was 88% of the school-age population in Cameroon, above the average of 76% for Sub-Saharan Africa as a whole. The Bilateral Aid Review in January this year confirmed the decision originally made in 2008 to close the UK's bilateral aid programme in Cameroon. UK aid will continue to reach Cameroon through our contributions to the multilateral development organisations, including the World Bank, EU and African Development Bank.

Lesotho

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the development needs of Lesotho.

Stephen O'Brien: Lesotho has significant development needs, particularly in the area of HIV and AIDS. DFID's bilateral programme to Lesotho has delivered impressive results in this area, reducing HIV prevalence in its important garment factories from 37% to 27% in just three years.

Burma: Overseas Aid

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding he is providing for capacity building work in Burma.

Andrew Mitchell: The UK does not have a specific allocation for capacity building in Burma. A number of Department for International Development programmes in Burma include the provision of capacity building for Burmese non-governmental organisations as well as training for individuals such as farmers, community teachers, and health staff and volunteers responsible for the direct delivery of health services. DFID does not provide capacity building for the Burmese central government.

Burma: Overseas Aid

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to ensure the effective delivery of aid to Burma.

Alan Duncan: In all countries where the Department for International Development (DFID) operates, the effectiveness of spending is maximised by: identifying the sectors and areas where DFID can have the greatest impact; preparing detailed business cases for each project which focus particularly on expected results and value for money; regularly monitoring and evaluating projects; and working closely with the organisations which implement projects and receiving feedback from project beneficiaries.
	In Burma, UK aid is delivered through UN agencies and non-governmental organisations. DFID takes close account of the ability of recipient organisations to meet project objectives and to account properly for aid funds.

Commonwealth: Overseas Aid

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development by how much he plans to change the level of aid to each Commonwealth country in 2011-12.

Andrew Mitchell: There has been a significant increase in the allocations of aid to Commonwealth countries. Overall support to Commonwealth countries was 35% in 2009-10 under the previous Government but our plans highlight that in 2013-14 this will move to 56%.
	Full details of the level of aid provided to each Commonwealth country in the years from 2006-07 to 2010-11 is set out in the recently published Statistics In Development. See the following website:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/About-us/How-we-measure-progress/Aid-Statistics/Statistics-on-International-Development-2011/SID-2011-Tables-Index
	The relevant tables are 14.1 to 14.5 which sets out the UK's expenditure by country recipient for each year within this period.
	In 2010-11 the Department for International Development conducted a review of its bilateral aid programme. The results of this are published on the external website at:
	http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Documents/MAR/FINAL_BAR%20TECHNICAL%20REPORT.pdf
	Annex F sets out indicative budgets for each country from 2010-11 through to 2014-15. The average increase in allocations for the 14 priority countries in the Commonwealth, compared to levels of aid in 2010-11 is 10%.

Departmental Pay

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many civil servants in his Department received a bonus in each year since 2007.

Stephen O'Brien: The following table shows the number of staff who received a non-consolidated performance payment in each of the financial years requested.
	
		
			 Financial year (1) Number of staff receiving a performance award 
			 2007-08 1,031 
			 2008-09 (2)72 
			 2009-10 1,380 
			 2010-11 1,609 
			 2011-12 1,506 
			 (1) Payments made are for the financial year indicated but relate to performance achieved in the previous reporting year. (2) DFID did not operate a non-consolidated reward scheme for staff below the SCS in 2008-09.

Procurement

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many contracts his Department has advertised on the Contracts Finder website in each month since May 2010; what the value was of such contracts; what proportion were awarded to (a) third sector organisations and (b) small businesses; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen O'Brien: The Contracts Finder website went live for all Government contract opportunities on 11 February 2011. The Department for International Development (DFID) has advertised 53 new tenders on Contracts Finder from 11 February to date. All tenders were posted to the European Union (EU) portal, Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) and simultaneously to Contracts Finder via a link established by Cabinet Office.
	Of the 53 tenders: eight contracts have since been awarded; seven contracts with a total value of £30 million and one framework with an estimated value of £160 million. Of the seven contracts awarded: one was awarded to a third sector organisation at a value of £3 million (10%); three contracts have been awarded to suppliers registered with DFID as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) at a value of £23.5 million (78%). The framework was awarded to seven suppliers, of which two are registered with DFID as SMEs.
	Only live tenders are retained on Contracts Finder and TED. A breakdown of advertised tenders per month sent from DFID, since February 2011 is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			 February 7 
			 March 6 
			 April 1 
			 May 3 
			 June 4 
			 July 4 
			 August 8 
			 September 11 
			 October 9

Legal Opinion

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many officials in his Department were working in its legal section in June 2011; and how many staff were working in the legal departments of his Department's agencies and non-departmental bodies.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development does not have a legal section. DFID seeks legal advice from the following:
	The Treasury Solicitor's Department (TSol)
	Foreign and Commonwealth Office Legal Advisers (FCO Legal)
	Crown Agents Legal (CA Legal)
	Office of the Solicitor to the Advocate General (OSAG).

Libya: Armed Conflict

Nicola Blackwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his latest assessment is of the humanitarian and stabilisation situation in Libya.

Andrew Mitchell: The liberation of Libya offers immense opportunities but there will undoubtedly be challenges. The UK Government were one of the first to provide vital humanitarian support to those affected in the early stage of the conflict in Libya. The humanitarian situation is improving as access is secured, but there are still displaced people. Libyan authorities, supported by the United Nations and humanitarian agencies, are leading in providing assistance to those affected including basic supplies such as food, water and medicines.
	The National Transitional Council has demonstrated strong leadership of the stabilisation agenda and it is apparent that people of Libya are making good progress towards building themselves a strong and democratic future. There is still work that remains to be done, however, and the UK has provided support in the critical areas of policing and public financial management. We continue to stand ready to support stabilisation and humanitarian efforts under the leadership of the Libyans and the international co-ordination of the United Nations.

Libya: Politics and Government

Jesse Norman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his most recent assessment is of the humanitarian and stabilisation situation in Libya.

Andrew Mitchell: The liberation of Libya offers immense opportunities but there will undoubtedly be challenges. The UK Government were one of the first to provide vital humanitarian support to those affected in the early stage of the conflict in Libya. The humanitarian situation is improving as access is secured, but there are still displaced people. Libyan authorities, supported by the United Nations and humanitarian agencies, are leading in providing assistance to those affected including basic supplies such as food, water and medicines.
	The National Transitional Council has demonstrated strong leadership of the stabilisation agenda and it is apparent that people of Libya are making good progress towards building themselves a strong and democratic future. There is still work that remains to be done, however, and the UK has provided support in the critical areas of policing and public financial management. We continue to stand ready to support stabilisation and humanitarian efforts under the leadership of the Libyans and the international co-ordination of the United Nations.

Overseas Aid: Fraud

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many full-time equivalent officials of his Department responsible for fraud investigation are based in (a) Europe, (b) Africa, (c) North America, (d) South America and (e) Asia.

Stephen O'Brien: The Department for International Development (DFID) has five FTE UK-based officials responsible for investigations based in the Counter Fraud Unit (CFU) in the UK. There are no DFID officials who investigate fraud based permanently in Africa, the Americas or Asia.
	DFID uses external specialist investigators to investigate the majority of fraud allegations, coordinated by a network of 17 fraud liaison officers (FLOs) based in offices in Africa and Asia, and overseen and supported by the CFU. The FLOs also help local DFID offices to manage fraud risks in their programmes, systems and processes.

Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to reduce the prevalence of (a) multidrug resistant tuberculosis and (b) extremely drug resistant tuberculosis.

Stephen O'Brien: The emergence of drug resistant strains of tuberculosis (TB) poses a serious threat to TB control. Improving basic TB control is critical to prevent the further spread of drug resistant tuberculosis. Our three priorities are to help increase access to and use effective diagnosis and treatment of TB; to invest in research and product development into more effective vaccines and diagnosis and treatment of TB, including drug resistant TB; and to support countries to strengthen health systems to deliver quality TB programmes. We do this through our support to UNITAID, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, and our research and bilateral support.
	The UK Government have made a 20 year commitment to UNITAID of up to €60 million per year. UNITAID aims to help expand access to quality-assured multi-drug resistant TB (MDR TB) treatment and push for price reductions. The Department for International Development is also supporting the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) to carry out research for the development of new diagnostics for TB, including rapid diagnosis for MDR TB for use in peripheral laboratories and clinics.

Zimbabwe

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he has any plans to visit Zimbabwe.

Andrew Mitchell: I have no immediate plans to visit Zimbabwe but I will do so as soon as I judge that a visit would help promote development and move forward the prospect for the political transition which the Zimbabwean people deserve to see.